The Department of Justice on Tuesday launched an investigation into University of Nevada, Las Vegas, over its response to pro-Palestine protests. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is the latest institution of higher learning to be hit with a Justice Department investigation over allegations of failing to protect Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests.
The Justice Department said Tuesday that it was investigating the school to determine if it violated Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by denying equal treatment to students based on race or national origin.
“This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to holding institutions of higher learning accountable and ensuring that every student receives equal access to the opportunity and education to which they are legally entitled,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement.
The Trump administration has targeted dozens of universities, several with Justice Department investigations, on allegations of failing to protect Jewish students during the spring of 2024 amid pro-Palestine protests that erupted on campuses across the country in response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
The White House says the actions are to clamp down on anti-Semitism and protect Jewish students at schools, but critics contend it’s a tactic to silence dissent and left-leaning ideology, as the Trump administration has pressured the institutions to adopt policies amounting to federal interference in hiring, admissions and curriculum under threat of funding cuts.
Several schools have reached costly agreements to settle the allegations with the administration.
Among the information the Justice Department has requested from the school is that concerning its response to protests and encampments following the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Justice Department said if the university is found in violation, it could have its federal funding cut.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has told local media in a statement that it is aware of the Justice Department’s announcement and intends to fully cooperate with the review.
“We are confident that the review will demonstrate that the university has and continues to adhere to all applicable federal and state laws,” it said.
The announcement of the investigation was made on the same day a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration deported foreign students with pro-Palestine views to squelch the free speech rights of non-citizens and discourage campus protests.
It also comes as the Justice Department announced on Friday that it has referred the University of Nevada, Reno, to the Department of Education to investigate claims it provides assistance to undocumented immigrants with financial aid and academic support. The Trump administration has sought to stop federal funds from going to undocumented non-citizens.
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., responded to the charge online Tuesday, saying the program at the Reno university does not rely on federal funding.
“This baseless investigation is nothing more than a witch hunt by the Trump administration trying to scare our immigrant community,” Rosen said on X.
